For the past 14 years, Mike and Debbie Laird have organized a golf outing in honor of their son, Jake, a police officer who was killed in the line of duty Aug. 18, 2004.
The Jake Laird Memorial Golf Outing returns Aug. 10 to benefit the Jake Laird Memorial Fund, which gives charitable donations to law enforcement and public safety agencies to buy new safety equipment or begin new programming or training. Laird was an Indianapolis Police Dept. officer who was fatally shot after responding to a call of an active shooter on the south side of Indianapolis. Laird was wearing a bulletproof vest but the bullet struck just above the vest.
The golf outing draws a large crowd to Noblesville’s Pebble Brook Golf Club each year. The 2017 outing drew 368 golfers and 40 volunteers.
The Florida scramble-style tournament will offer four-person teams. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. shotgun start. The outing also will feature closest-to-the-pin contests, special surprise events, silent and live auctions that will include sports items, gift certificates and more, dinner, awards and another auction when golf is complete.
Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear, U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Bryan Roach will attend the opening ceremonies. The IMPD Honor Guard also will present the colors. Brian Wolfe will sing the national anthem and two bagpipe players will perform.
For those interested in making a donation but can’t play in the outing, contributions can be made to the Jake Laird Memorial Fund at BMO Harris Bank, c/o The Jake Laird Memorial Fund, at 7652 N. Shadeland Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46250.
To register, visit thejakelairdmemorialtourney.org. For more, contact Mike Laird at 317-842-6338 or 317-698-3177.
